SAN JOSE, Calif. - KenPom has a neat little stat called effective height. It accounts not only for how tall your roster is, but also the impact those players have night in, night out.
Gonzaga could be too big to fail
The ‘Zags size advantage made the difference in punching their first Final Four ticket ever.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Gonzaga, not surprisingly, is ranked third in the country. After watching the ‘Zags tear through the West regional on the way to the first Final Four berth in program history, it’s clear you don’t need fancy numbers to tell the Bulldogs’ front line is a major advantage.
This is the college basketball’s best front line army, and it’s not a small army, either. The Zags boast four imposing big men. Four guys that contribute, make a difference, and make this Gonzaga team a force to be reckoned with in Glendale.
In Saturday’s 83-59 Elite Eight throttling of Xavier, the Bulldogs shot an astounding 12-24 from the three-point line. Each felt like a small dagger that injured the Musketeers just a bit more.
But it may be Mark Few’s four 6’10 or taller rotation players, who he says “makes our entire team hard to guard,” the real point of difference if they win a national championship.
Consider the following:
- Przemek Karnowski – A 7’1 pure center who’s basically unstoppable if he gets position. Everyone knows him. But did you know he has won more college basketball games than anyone in the history of the game?
- Zach Collins: A 7’0 McDonalds All-American freshman who comes off the bench. Scouts peg him as a likely lottery pick whenever he declares for the NBA Draft.
- Johnathan Williams III – A 6’10 tweener who spent two seasons in the SEC playing for Missouri before transferring. He was so much of a matchup nightmare in San Jose that he claimed West Region MVP.
- Killian Tillie – A 6’10 freshman. He’s their 8th man, the least used regular, but hey look at that he’s a member of the French National Team.
“Tillie and Zach and Przemek and Three are all completely different,” said Nigel Williams-Goss. “They make teams make a decision. Are you gonna play one-on-one in the post or are you gonna double and free it up for us?”
It’s a simple conundrum to understand, but with the versatility this team possesses, starting with their bigs, it’s difficult to game plan and even more challenging to withstand for 40 minutes.
The reason Gonzaga shot so well from the perimeter was the respect Xavier had to give their inside players. If you’re undersized, coming out of a zone isn’t always an option, or you risk allowing Collins and Karnowski to hammer you with short over-the-shoulder jumpers. That’s what Xavier dealt with, and there wasn’t a player on their roster or tactic in Chris Mack’s brain that could halt the Zags anywhere on the floor. Plenty of other teams have felt this struggle, whether it be in the West Coast Conference or against name brands like Arizona and Florida.
The reason Gonzaga shot so well from the perimeter was the respect Xavier had to give their inside players
On the other side of the court, the task of scoring consistently against this team is just as difficult as stopping them with the ball. The Zags limit your second chances with solid rebounding numbers, and can also defend the lane, which gives their guards great confidence.
“We get to attack,” says senior guard Jordan Matthews when asked about defending with such an imposing frontcourt. “When we get into attack mode on defense and we see those guys behind us, it makes it easy. They’re vertically contesting. You can really pressure the ball and make aggressive plays, its special.”
If you’re still unwilling to call Gonzaga big time – literally and figuratively -- then you’re not picking up on what’s happening. There isn’t a single team in the country that has this. Not just a few big bodies, but big skilled bodies in both their starting lineup and off the bench. Not remaining blue-bloods Kentucky. Not North Carolina, and certainly not Oregon.
After finally cutting down an NCAA Tournament net, the most complete team in the country enters the Final Four with no reason anyone should think it isn’t built to cut down another next week.
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